Local News

Chinese Greet 'Year of the Horse' in Downtown Street Fest

The Chinese New Year street festival is going on until 11 p.m. Saturday. It's sponsored by the Chinatown Merchants Association. Fifteen-thousand participants are expected and traffic was diverted beginning at 5:30 a.m. as booths were set up. Maunakea Street and sidewalk areas are closed between Beretania Street and King Street. Also, Pauahi Street is blocked from River Street to Nuuanu Avenue. Hotel Street is blocked between Richards Street and River Street, and Smith Street is shut down from Pauahi to Beretania Street. At 4 p.m. the Night in Chinatown Parade begins and will include more than 200 marchers, 20 vehicles and two bands. The parade begins at Richards Street and proceeds to Hotel Street ewa bound, where it winds up at Smith Street. It's expected to take about two hours.